Running away
by Lady Elya
Summary: I'm not running away, not anymore! I will be strong!   One-shot, slight ItaSaku


**A/N Okay, so I won't bore you with this, I know most of you don't even read authors notes. Anyways, this is a short one-shot. I haven't written in a long time, I gave up on fanfiction. But, I started again, yay me! :D**

**Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

Uh-oh... They are coming! What should I do? Somebody help me! Please? I'm all alone... I can't keep running away, but I cannot stay, either. I don't want to die! Please? Anybody?

I wonder if they would miss me. If they are thinking of me right now? Probably not... Who would miss this failure? Nobody... That's right. I'm all alone. I'll die alone, running away... Is that my fate? To die alone? Like a coward?

I never pictured it would be this way...long ago. I thought I would be happy, have a family... Stupid childhood dreams! I guess I was never fated to be successful, to be happy...

But what have I done to deserve this sorrow? I was always a good girl. I tried to be nice to everyone. I tried to be good in all my studies. To be responsible. And look where that brought me! All alone, running away... I mention running away an awful lot, don't you think?

...I guess that's because I'm a ninja. And ninjas are supposed to be brave, and strong. Everything I'm not. I'm not a ninja... I'm a weak, pathetic little girl! They told me that too, and I believe them... The only thing I'm good at is reading people. Nobody can hide anything from me, you know? But that skill never brought me any good, only pain and sorrow...

I'm not even worthy of my headband. That's why I left it there. Well that, and because it brought back too many bad memories. All that hate and scorn. In the beginning they hid it from me, pretended to be my friends. The hate in their eyes was very well hidden, but it was there. They hid it much better than they did for the kyuubi jinchuriki... I wonder why?

I almost didn't notice the hate, almost didn't see the anger and scorn. But I'm glad I did, it could've been much worse for me if I didn't, If I were ignorant from the beginning... It would've only brought me more pain... They thought I couldn't see those hateful glares, couldn't hear those whispered words... I pretended I couldn't, for my sake, and for theirs.

But no one can pretend forever, everything comes out in the end... They realized I knew their true feelings, and then it became... Worse... Much worse... Even though I knew of their hate, it hurt. It broke my heart to see all of my supposed "friends" turn away from me, one by one...

And I don't even know what I have wronged them! I never did anything bad to them, I always tried to be a good friend! What have I done to deserve such hate from those people? Is it because of a reason I don't know about, or did they just do it because I was weak, and easy to pick on?

You know, in my life I have never seen kind, well-meaning eyes directed at me. Yes, I have seen fake kindness. Quite a lot of it actually. But not one pair of eyes filled with genuine concern directed my way. Not even pity. It's like I am some animal or something!

I can hear someone coming, I know it's the enemy... Well, right now, everyone is my enemy, but this is not just any enemy. No, it's the enemy of my home, of my "friends". This enemy is coming after me... I know I'm gonna die... I can feel it...

But I don't want to die! Even after all that suffering, I feel like I'm not ready yet. I haven't lived my life to its fullest! I want to find some real friends, I want to find love! Oh, Kami-sama, please help me! I'm afraid, I'm so afraid!

We were thought not to be afraid of death, that ninja should accept death the same way they welcome a lover into their arms... They told us that ninjas should embrace death. But I cannot do that! That's just another one of those ninja skills in which I failed, and now I'm not ready! I don't want to die yet! I have to run away, it's my only chance! I'm so sick of running being my only way out... It's like I'm always cowardly escaping, never fighting back... But what else can I do? It's the only way... I'm so weak, and pathetic...

I feel tears welling up in my eyes... This is me, the poor little weakling, crying because she cannot do anything, not even strong enough to save herself. I remember how they all insulted me, looks like they were right about me.

I can still hear those words... Every time the wind howls, I hear whispers... Weak... Coward... Dead-weight... Ugly... Pink-haired freak... Crybaby... Always helpless, always running away...

No! I don't want to be like that! I don't want to be a weak little girl they label me to be! They can't say that kind of stuff about me! Even though they knew me all my life, they don't really know me! I will prove it! They are not here, but I'll at least prove it to myself! I'll show these enemies I'm not some weakling they can push around! But what can I do?

_Stay... Stay and fight..._

Wait, what is that? I know that voice! Is that… Inner? She was a voice in my mind, I named her Inner Me. I remember her talking to me when we were younger. She was really bold, she was always staying stuff I wanted to say, and she always gave me advice. But she got quieter and quieter by the day, and then suddenly, she became completely silent. I guess she was my will to fight, and as their hate became bigger, my will to fight grew lesser.

But it came back now, and I'm not running away, not anymore! I won't listen to those whispers, I won't listen to THEM! I'll stay and fight! I may be weak, but I'm not helpless! I could at least die a honorable death, fighting. No more running, it's time to kick some ass!

"Come out, come out, where ever you are! I'm not running away anymore! I will not be looked upon as weak anymore!"

Suddenly, I feel much better! I don't care what my "friends" say, I don't care if they hate me, I will not be viewed as weak! Huh, it's like a giant weight has been lifted off my chest... I'm not afraid to die anymore...

Wow, who are these people? That guy has blue skin! Blue skin! And what's that? The other one has sharingan! Oh, no! It can't be him! I can't handle him right now! He's the one of the first ones who broke my heart... Please don't let it be him! Please, please, please... But wait, this guy is older than me, and HE is the same age as me... And this guy has raven hair, not midnight blue... And he is more slender, has a more of a cat-like appearance! Thank Kami!  
>Oh wait, they are saying something.<p>

"...like the little kitten has claws" It's the blue man... I should start fighting them, I really should. But I'm curious what the other one has to say. Probably something hateful, as everyone else.

"Don't worry, we do not want to fight you, we want to help you. Will you come with us?"

His voice is so strange, so gentle, yet rough at the same time. It's weird. But the context of the words is even weirder. Nobody ever said something like that to me, with no traces of lies. _He's lying._ I know Inner is right. I shouldn't hope this guy is different, because nobody is. They are all the same.

I ignore his words and run straight at him, kunai raised. I will lose this fight, I know it, but at least I'm not running away. He easily deflects my attack, and jumps away. I jump away too, and crouch in a defensive position, waiting for his attack. He will definitely attack me, now that I have initiated the fight. He doesn't have to hide behind his lies anymore.

"Stop it. We don't want to fight you", again that silky voice, again it sounds so true.

I just growl, and attack him again. But each punch is sidestepped, each kick is evaded, each kunai is deflected. And he still doesn't fight back, just dodges. And I can't help it, he is too frustrating. I scream:

"Just fight me already!"

He doesn't answer, just dodges another enraged swipe of mine. I am so sick of not looking into his eyes, of evading his stupid sharingan. I want to see hate in his eyes, I want to confirm he is evil, like everyone else. I want to kill this hope blossoming in my chest. And so I did it. I look into his red eyes. I know I shouldn't, but I do it anyway. I'm good at reading people. Nobody can hide any emotion from me while I'm looking into their eyes. There is no emotionless facade that can trick me. And when I look into his eyes, what I see shocks me! I falter mid step, and almost fall. But still I can't tear my eyes from his gaze. I saw no malice there, no hate nor scorn. I never saw such eyes directed at me. It overwhelmed me! I never expected such eyes from a criminal... So his words, his whole posture, weren't fake. It was all genuine. The small bud of hope in my chest blossomed.

I was exhausted already, and this finishes me of... I feel faint... I'm falling... No! I don't want to lose consciousness! It means I will have to close my eyes... I don't want to do that, for if I lose sight of them, those kind eyes will disappear, and again I will see only hate! I have to say something

"Will you... stay with me?"

My voice sound weak, even to my ears. "Don't worry. Sleep. We are not going anywhere. We'll stay..."

Those kind words reassured me. I finally give up a losing battle ...Maybe finally my life is turning for good...

**So, how did you like it? Please tell me in a review. I am planning a couple more one-shots this weekend, so some tips will be a lot of help!**

**Thank you for reading! **


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